Draw-bar-centering device and carrier.



J. R. MITCHELL. y DRAW BAR CENTERING DEVICE AND CARRIER.

III I Le? INVENTOR. July??? )mZ-@keu J. R. MITCHELL. DRAW BAR CENTERLNGDEVICE AND CARRIER.

APPLICATION fiLEp MAY 10. 19|5. Lm.. Paiemelune 10, 91?. 2 SHEETS-SHEET2,

IN V EN TOR.

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DRVB'-CENTEBIG DEVICE AND CARRIER.

Fatented J une 1%, 191% Application flied Hay 10, 1915. eral No. 27,010.

To ZZ whom. it may concern:

lle it known tha't 1, .loi-1N R. MITCHELL, a citizen ot the UnitedStates, residing' a Evanston, in the county of Cook and State or'lllinois, have invented a certain new and useful improvement inDraw-Bar-Centering levices and Carriers. of which the follow-I ingr afull, clear, concise. and exact description, referencebeing had to thecompanying drawings, 'forming a pari this speeication.

This invention relates to improvements in a draw-bar centering deviceand carrier.

The o'lvject ot the invention is to provide simplified means torautomatically fnaintainingj a draw-bar in central position which meansare also so arranged that they support 'the carrier for air, steam orelectric` automatic connectors.

The invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the parts anddevices, and in the novel combinations ot the parts and devices hereinshown, described or claimed.

` forming a part of this In the drawing specification, Figure 1 is anend elevation of a portion of a car showing my improvement in connectiontherewith. the coupler shank beingi shown in section. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view taken on the line f2 of Vig. 1. Fig. 3 is adetailed seo tsonal'vieiv showing;r a niodiiied form of attachmentbetween the centering device proper and the carrier tor the automaticair. steam 0r electric connector. Fig'. i is a view similar to Fig. 1showing a diierent embodiment of my invention, and lig. 5 is a 'verticalsectional view taken on the line of Figi. 4.

\ lu said drawing and referring* to Figs. 1 and 2. 1() denotes ahorizontal strap or bur at the end ot' a car and rigid with the carunder-frame, To said bar is secured a carrier iron l1 by bolts 12, orother suitable means, the carrier iron being arranged to slidablysupport the draviubar shank 13. Secured to the underside of' the carrieriron l1` near tl" ends thereof., are angles 121--14 'in which issupported and mounted a bolt 15, kept in place bv a head on one ond andnut 1G on 'the other end. Tlv angles lli-J i serve as stops for a. pairol einge l7-- i7 mounted. on said bolt l5. lhe carrier iron ilerrang/*vd to slu'iport, a centering member i; biw'lwt 18 which,

as shown, is provided with two sets of spaced upwardly extending,rearsthat are arranged 4to engage the sides ot the drawbar shank. Mountedbetween each pair of spaced ears 19 on a suitable pin or bolt 20 is ananti-friction roller 21, which rides on top of the carrier iron 11 andwhich thus permits the member 18 to slide back and forth with a minimumamount of friction. At its underside the member 18 is formed with twosemi-cylindrical chambers 22 divided by a central vertical partition 23,the inner ends ot' the springs 1?-17 being seated in said chambers aswill be understood. To the under cylindrical side 21A of the member 18is adjustably secured a carrier 2. having a correspondingly curved topflange 2G arranged to be bolted to the member 18, the bolts 27 for thispurpose being adjustable in elongated slots 28 in the member 18vvl'iereby the carrier 25 can be adjusted to the proper angle. 'Thecarrier 25 supports tho automatic air and steam and electric connectorand may be ot any desired form, that shown in the drawing illustrating'one well-known type which l do not deem it necessary to here describe.

From the preceding description, it will be seen that the member 18 willcally retained in central position by means of the springs 17 i-17 andconsequently the draw-bar 13 .vill also be kept in central position aswill the carrier 25. This is of importance since in connecting orcoupling tivo cars together I:he automatic coupler or connector for theair, steam and electric conductors will always be positioned in linewith the coupler, and when the train o cars is passing over a curvedtrack, the steam and air pipes will be also kept in vertical alinementwith the couplers and be caused to autonntically tollow the movementsthereof at all times.

1n Fig. 31 have shown a dilierent method of connecting the carrier withthe centering device proper and as so showm the centering member 11S isprovided with-a (.lepending centrally located tlange 31 having an elongated horizontal slot 32 therein. he car' rier 125 is provided with apair of upstanding flanges 126 adapted to sti-addio the flange 3l and besecured thereto by bolts 127 which pass through the slot 32.

ln the construction shown in Figs, i and be automati- 5, 211 denotes thecarry iron, 213 the draw bar and 218 the centering member for the air,steam and electric automatic connector. The member 218 is substantiallyof inverted U-shape in cross section as clearly shown in Fig. 5 andthereby adaptedl to straddle the carry iron 211. At its ends the member218 is provided with upstanding shoulders 219--219 arranged to engagethe sides of the draw-bar shank. In this construction, the carrier 225is supported vby means of a member 226 and pivotally mounted links2274227, the latter being supported at their upper ends on pins or bolts228- mounted in the depending side flanges of the member 218 andpivotally connected' at theirlovver ends by bolts 229 supported in thenpstanding side walls of the member 226. The carrier 225 is connected tothe member 226 by means of bolts 230-230.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and herein above described,it is apparent that thc automatic connector for the air, steam andelectric conductors will followthe movements of the draw-bar since themember 218 will always be moved in accordance With the movements of thedrawbar. In addition, the connector is flexibly connected With themember 218 and may thus accommodate itself to various conditions 1nservice.

I claim:

1. In car construction, the combination with a draw bar, of a carry ironbeneath the draw bar and arranged to directly support the latter, amember having antifriction rollers, slidably mounted with respect tosaid carry iron and supported thereby, said member having upstandingprojections on each side of the draw bar shank adapted to engage thelatter, and spring means for normally maintaining said member in centralposition.

2. In car construction, the combination with a carry iron' adapted tosupport the Weight of a draw bar, of a member slidable with respect toSaid carry iron and having upstanding shoulders located at the sides ofthe draw bar shank, a carrier for air and steam automatic connectorsecured to said member, and means for adjustably securing said carrierto saidl member in any predetermined position.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 22nd day of April 1915.

JOHN njMiTcHELL.

